Temporary Hiring Sees Big Jump [AUDIO]

Hiring, in any form, is a healthy sign for the economy, but many people are landing jobs that come without stability or the potential to advance.

Temporary workers have become a larger share of the national workforce over the past few years. Their numbers have jumped by 50 percent since the recession ended in 2009.

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"I think it suggests that the economy has come back, but that companies are not willing to invest in labor," said Joy Schneer, a professor of management at Rider University. "Employers are still not convinced that this is a permanent upswing."

By hiring temps, Schneer said, companies can "hedge their bets." Temporary, or contract, workers are easy to get rid of if business starts rolling downhill again. Plus, companies don't have to deal with benefits and other costs associated with full-time employees.

"It's a low-level commitment that organizations can make to growth," Schneer added.

The American workforce can see this trend in a positive or negative light. On the bright side, companies are looking to hire. However, folks are getting added to the payroll on a tentative basis, and one never knows what their employment situation will look like from quarter to quarter.

Schneer said temporary workers struggle to feel like part of the team.

"Certainly, the hope is that as employers see that they have a continual need for additional workers, they will convert people to permanent employees," said Schneer.